From Publishers Weekly
According to psychotherapist O'Connor (Undoing Depression), the human brain and nervous system cannot process the constant stress that is accepted as inevitable today, resulting in an alarming rise in chronic illness, depression and anxiety. Using current mind/body research, he shows how the brain and nervous system respond to stress; how the body manifests these changes; and how negative patterns become vicious cycles of mental, emotional and physical illness. O'Connor says there are many studies implicating stress as a major factor in heart disease, diabetes, cancer and such difficult to treat conditions as chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia, but the health-care establishment hasn't been able to adequately help patients make the lifestyle modifications needed for lasting change. To that end, he suggests mindfulness techniques to help readers identify mental and emotional programming and defense mechanisms, make healthy choices and form life-affirming habits. O'Connor's vast subject ranges from everyday stress to deep-seated emotional trauma and serious mental illness, and this work may overwhelm readers in the acute phase of a stress-related condition, although they will likely find O'Connor's compassionate understanding helpful. The book may be of greatest value to professionals who work therapeutically with patients, and readers interested in the mind/body connection who are ready to make major changes in their lives to combat stress.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Présentation de l'éditeur
The author of bestselling Undoing Depression, Dr. Richard O'Connor goes beyond depression and into the world of perpetual stress--a condition that affects us all and leads to serious physical and mental health problems.
Twenty-first-century life is evolving at a breakneck pace-and with it, stresses multiply by the day. With people working long hours, worrying about families and finances ,and receiving non-stop e-mail and cell phone calls, stress is at an all time high. This is perpetual stress syndrome and the human nervous system was never meant to handle this many stressors. Here psychotherapist O'Connor explains how many common problems, both emotional and physical, are actually side effects of modern life, and how to undo their damage. He explains how readers can:
- Recognize the hidden effects of stress on the brain and body
- Understand their inner sanity in conflict with a crazy world
- Develop self-control over how to think, act, and feel when stressed
- Regain a sense of meaning and purpose in their lives
Twenty-first-century life is evolving at a breakneck pace-and with it, stresses multiply by the day. With people working long hours, worrying about families and finances ,and receiving non-stop e-mail and cell phone calls, stress is at an all time high. This is perpetual stress syndrome and the human nervous system was never meant to handle this many stressors. Here psychotherapist O'Connor explains how many common problems, both emotional and physical, are actually side effects of modern life, and how to undo their damage. He explains how readers can:
- Recognize the hidden effects of stress on the brain and body
- Understand their inner sanity in conflict with a crazy world
- Develop self-control over how to think, act, and feel when stressed
- Regain a sense of meaning and purpose in their lives
